John Paul II the Great Route Although famous, beloved and international known as being the Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope John Paul II (formerly Karol Wojtyla) is a national hero in Poland. Born in Wadowice, a small town very close to Krakow, he became the bishop of Krakow at age 38 years. We will walk in the footsteps of this political and spiritual giant when we tour Wadowice and Krakow. Starting in Wadowice, where he was baptized and lived for 18 years of his life, we will visit his family house, parish church and taste his favorite after school treat, "kremowka".

On the way to Krakow we will stop in Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, the 3rd largest shrine in Poland, visiting the Bernandine monastery and the miraculous painting of the Virgin Mary, the very same painting that inspired young Karol Wojtyla to dedicate his life to Holy Mary, after the death of his own mother.

Our next stop is Krakow, where Karol Wojtyla began his rise to spiritual prominence and where he withstood the ravages of the Nazi occupation, and later the Soviet occupation of Poland. Wotyla arrived in Krakow in 1938 and attended the Jagiellonian University, living the majority of his life until 1978 when he was elected Pope, and changed the destiny of Eastern and central Europe. We will also visit the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy, connected with the message of St. Faustina, a favorite saint of John Paul II. The Shrine of Divine Mercy is now the 2nd largest pilgrimage center in Poland, and was consecrated by the Pope in his final visit to Poland in 2002.
In Old Town Krakow, we will view the Archbishop‘s residence, John Paul II‘s home for a number of years and see the "most famous window in the world" where he greeted people. From that window, we will walk to Collegium Novum, the main building of Jagiellonian University, where he lectured on theology.